The Married Life
by xbirdy
Summary: A collection of one-shots regarding the lives of Natsume and Mikan Hyuuga.
1. Chapter 1

**Title:** euphoria

 **Summary:** He'd never felt happiness quite like this.

Natsume stood awkwardly before the crowd, watching the large double doors as if he were about to set them ablaze with his flames. This was ridiculous, and it wasn't even his idea. It was quite obvious it wasn't his idea if you looked amongst the crowd and identified the guests. Shadow was sitting, looking irritatingly happy, and there was also that freak Tonouchi who Natsume knew had ulterior motives. Not to mention that stupid Narumi-sensei was sitting right up front, giving Natsume the biggest and brightest smile and it just made Natsume _sick._ Natsume glared at him, _daring_ him to say something smart once all of this was over. He looked across from him, meeting the emotionless stare of Hotaru. She mouthed something, something Natsume couldn't quite decipher, but before he could glare her into repeating it, she jerked her head toward the double doors in the back just as the music began to play.

Quickly Natsume looked toward the back of the room. His gaze lifted from the guests, following their gaze, and what he saw knocked the wind out of him. Breathing deeply, he blinked rapidly. Their eyes were looking deeply into one another, and all she did was smile before she began to walk towards him, her arm looped with her uncle's. Natsume's mouth closed quickly as he swallowed hard. He felt numb all over, he felt like he was unable to think, let alone speak. He was completely overcome with a nostalgic emotion and the closer she got, the more he realized that years of feeling as though something was missing was subsiding exponentially. And once that feeling was completely gone, the feeling of obtaining something great. Something that, even after all these years, he couldn't place a value. That meant only one thing: she was precious beyond belief.

"You keep your promise," the high school principal told Natsume, "You protect her with your life." Natsume simply nodded as he handed her off, and she handed her bouquet of flowers to Hotaru.

As the officiator began to speak, she smiled adoringly, as smile she reserved specifically for him. "You look very handsome," Mikan complimented, having not seen him for the past few hours.

Natsume released a breath he hadn't realized he was holding in. Unable to find words, he squeezed her hand with affection and Mikan giggled softly. She understood.

"And now," the officiator, "the bride and groom have a few words to share. Groom."

"Mikan," Natsume began, no longer feeling like the child that would rather die than feel pathetic amongst his peers. "When I first met you, I was surrounded by darkness. I had almost everything taken from me, and I had very little left. But you—" Natsume paused, noting the tears that were accumulating at the corners of Mikan's eyes "—you became a light that I never knew I could see. You had this way of making me need you around at all times, and soon I didn't care what happened to me. I needed to keep you safe, and that's no different from now. I need you, and I don't want anyone else to have you. You're the woman I love, and that will never change. That, I promise."

Mikan allowed the tears to spill as the officiator transitioned, "And now, the bride."

Mikan took a breath then said, "Natsume. I hardly expected any of this happen when we met. I was sure you hated me, and I thought you were a perverted fox and there was _no way_ I was going to fall in love with you." Mikan laughed along with the rest of the crowed as Natsume smirked. "But," she sighed, "Crazy things happen, right? I don't know how to explain it, but I don't love everyone else like I love you. I can smile for everyone else but I will always wonder if I am smiling enough for the both us. I can care about everyone else, but I will always wonder if there is anything more I can do to protect you. You have become a part of me, so much that I feel empty when I cannot be with you." Pausing, she wiped away her tears. Meanwhile Natsume was giving her all the attention she needed. "I love you, and I vow to protect you just as much as you protect me."

The ceremony continued, and Natsume's eyes never left Mikan's. Emotions were silently exchanged. Everything they couldn't say, everything they couldn't put into words, was passed between one another. Natsume felt inexplicably warm. He was snapped from his revere when he heard his name. "Do you, Natsume Hyuuga, take Mikan Sakura to be your lawfully wedded wife, promising to love and cherish, through joy and sorrow, sickness and health, and whatever challenges you may face, for as long as you both shall live?"

"I do," Natsume said without question.

"And do you, Mikan Sakura, take Natsume Hyuuga to be your husband to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, from this day forward until death do you part?"

"I do," Mikan bit her lip as she began to bounce in anticipation. Natsume looked on in amusement. She never ceased to intrigue him.

The officiator smiled at her as Mikan was radiating with pure happiness. "Do we have the rings?" Both Ruka and Hotaru stepped forward, passing a ring to their respective friend. Natsume took Mikan's hand first and placed the ring on her finger, allowing Mikan to follow suit. "Family and friends, I now present to you Mr. and Mrs. Hyuuga." Natsume smiled. He liked the sound of that. "You may now kiss." And just like always when Natsume moved to kiss her, Mikan began to slowly turn a bright shade of red. But she allowed Natsume to caress her cheek before pulling her into a soft lingering kiss just as the room erupted in applause.

Natsume sat at an abandoned table, occasionally sipping on the champagne that the catering service had served the guests. The ceremony had since ended, and Mikan disappeared to change into something more giving. Behind the venue, they had a tented area in which there was seating and an area where people could dance if they wanted to. Natsume had been present when Imai coerced Ruka into a dance, though Natsume knew it wasn't too much of coercion for Ruka seeing as he wanted to anyway. It was Imai who was too proud to act on their relationship openly. Natsume silently pondered how she was going to react when Ruka finally proposed to her. He'd chickened out the last four times, but Natsume was soon going to force him to do it so Ruka could stop stressing to Natsume about it.

"Hyuuga." Natsume looked up to find Imai's baka-gun staring him in the face.

He looked up to glare at her. "What do you want?"

She sat down, but kept the baka-gun in the same position, "Let's talk." Natsume released a sigh and placed his glass on the table. He leaned back to get comfortable as he imagined this would happen, and he imagined the lecture to be long. "I don't know why, but that idiot loves you to the moon and back."

"Obviously," Natsume interjected.

Hotaru shoved the baka-gun closer, "If you hurt her, I will kill you. You better not—"

"Yeah I got it Imai." Hotaru glared as she was interrupted _again._ Just as she was about to make an embarrassment out of him at his own wedding, she noticed that his gaze was fixated on something distant. She followed the trial of his eyes and found that Mikan had just walked into the tent and she was looking around… probably for him. _Whatever,_ Hotaru thought, putting away her baka-gun and leaving to go find out where Ruka had gone to. Natsume, however, met Mikan halfway through the tent. At first he studied her, noting how she truly looked beautiful in anything. She was no longer wearing the wedding dress she had on earlier. Instead, she was wearing a simply dress that ended just above her knees. And her hair was let loose and pinned to the side, her slightly curled hair flowing with every movement.

Mikan smiled shyly, looping her arms around Natsume's neck, accepting his silent invitation to dance. "Stop staring, pervert." Natsume simply rested his forehead on hers, placing his hands on her hips, and began to sway with the slow music playing in the background. "You know," Mikan said thoughtfully, "This reminds me of the time we danced at the Christmas Ball except—" she surprised Natsume by suddenly pecking his lips. Natsume was always the one to initiate kisses… or, at least, he was always the one to _tell_ her to kiss him. But she would always end up a blushing, stuttering mess, so a kiss from her was definitely unexpected. "— _that_ was on purpose."

Natsume chuckled and shifted so he could bury his face in her neck as they continued. He breathed in her citrus scent as his arms completely entrapped her. She squeezed her body, loving the way she molded against him perfectly. He didn't know how to explain how he was feeling, but he felt like he had his entire world in his arms. Mikan was the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen, and she was now his. She was no Mrs. _Hyuuga._ "Say it," he demanded.

"Hm," Mikan said as she rested her head on his shoulder. "Say what?"

"Say your name." He kissed her neck causing her to jolt slightly before giggling.

"Mikan?" She squeezed him a little tighter. She knew what he meant, but she wanted to tease him a little.

"No." He slowly pulled back, his lips trailing her jaw until their noses were touching. "Your _last_ name."

Mikan smiled. "Oh, you mean _Hyuuga_?"

It was in that moment when Natsume fully smiled for the first time that night. It was in that moment that Natsume realized what he was feeling, and it was all because of the woman he had in his arms. It was really a simple emotion, but he felt like he could burst.

"What," Mikan laughed, noticing that he was staring again. "What are you thinking?"

Natsume simply shook his head and brought her into a tight hug. "Nothing. I'm just really happy."

 **Okay so this was longer than I expected it to be… and it's only the first chapter. So~ sorry about that. Anyway. I don't know when I'll post the second chapter but I will get to working on it ASAP for everyone. And I hope that Natsume wasn't too OOC but it's hard to imagine him expressing his happiness so I just winged it.**

 **Thank you for reading!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Title:** family

 **Summary:** There is truly nothing like family.

There were many regrets Natsume had growing up, and one of those was abandoning his father. Natsume truly believed that his father was in need of someone to watch over him, and Mr. Hyuuga would be lying if he said that that wasn't the case. Because just as Natsume was losing everyone in his life, Mr. Hyuuga was losing his loved ones as well. First his wife passed away, then his children were taken away from him despite his efforts to prevent such a thing from happening. Thinking back, Natsume could only imagine how lonely his father was, so he decided he wanted to make sure his father never a thing such as loneliness ever again.

Mikan was not oblivious to this in the slightest. She knew all Natsume was thinking when he introduced her to his father. It all seemed like a silent exchange: Mr. Hyuuga drew Mikan into a warm hug and, behind him, Natsume stared into Mikan's eyes. It was there that she saw all the emotion she needed to understand his true hopes regarding his father. It moved her to tears, but only when Natsume was driving the two of them back into town. "He loves you and Aoi so much," she eventually explained, "I know he's aware that you love him just as much." Mikan squeezed Natsume's hand and, though he remained quiet, he silently thanked Mikan for her sweet, reassuring words.

Because of Natsume's drive to piece together a family for his father, he would take a trip down to see his father every month. It used to be just him, his father, and Aoi sitting around the table, holding long conversations. Natsume could see that his father was ecstatic by the simple fact that his children were together with him once again. And instead of it being a heartbreaking memory or a saddened reunion like the previous times they had all been together, they were simply enjoying each other's' company within the walls of a peacefully silent home. But that all changed when, after he married her, Natsume would bring Mikan along with him. She was his wife, after all, and his father would complain about the fact that he rarely saw her during her dating stage with Natsume. It never really occurred to Natsume to bring her along when, in hindsight, she was already considered a part of the family.

When Mikan tagged along with him, Natsume could feel he difference in the atmosphere. Mikan filled in the emptiness that Natsume couldn't seem to identify, let along fill. There was a soft, fragile warmth that Mikan brought each and every time she visited along with Natsume. It wasn't long before Natsume noticed that Mikan was capable of filling multiple voids shared between himself, his father, and his sister. To Natsume, Mikan was his wife. She was his lover, a reason for him to fight the misfortunes that he had been forced to endure. For Aoi, Mikan was the sister she never had. There were times when they would be sitting in the backyard and Mikan would be giving Aoi loving advice regarding the perils Aoi was going through with either boys or simple events in life. And to Mr. Hyuuga, Mikan was his family's savior. She single-handedly saved both his daughter and his son. She risked her life to keep his family safe and, on top of that, her heart was as pure as gold and it was dedicated to those she loved. And she didn't hesitate to ensure that the he, Natsume, and Aoi knew that she loved them dearly.

Their weekend gathering would always begin the same: Natsume and Mikan being the last to arrive due to Natsume's late nights at the firm. Natsume always tried to pull in silently, and Mikan always tried to close the car door as quietly as possible, but they knew they were futile efforts. There was always a light on in the living room and, when the two entered, they'd find Mr. Hyuuga sitting in his arm chair with a worried expression. Relief would wash over his features as soon as he laid eyes on Natsume and Mikan. He would draw Mikan into a hug and then pat Natsume on the shoulder, happy that they made it to his home safely. He would then tell them that, like always, Aoi was already asleep and he would wish them a good night and walk silently to his room.

The weekend was always carefree and relaxing for the family as they would simply enjoy each other's presence. Sometimes Natsume and Mikan would sit in the backyard, Natsume listening while Mikan chattered away, and they both would pretend like they didn't notice Mr. Hyuuga and Aoi looking on in curiosity. Other times Natsume would spend the afternoon with his father while Mikan and Aoi were out shopping at the shopping mall. Pretty soon, the family had nostalgic memories that epitomized a loving, caring family. But there came a time when such gatherings were nearing their end.

It was an unusually cold evening, and rain pelted the house relentlessly. Mikan had woken suddenly in the middle of the night, and she quickly shook Natsume awake. "Something isn't right," she breathed in fear as both she and Natsume left their bedroom in search of whatever it was that unsettled Mikan's normally peaceful heart. What they found shocked them beyond belief.

"I'm so sorry for your loss." Natsume sat stone cold while Mikan blinked away the tears in her eyes. She had her arm wrapped around Aoi's shoulders as Aoi silently sobbed. The ceremony was only a few short days ago, and they were now facing an urn within which Mr. Hyuuga's ashes were resting. The urn sat between Natsume and Mr. Hyuuga's lawyer who was given the job of explaining Mr. Hyuuga's dying wishes to those Mr. Hyuuga named his children. "First, he wanted me to tell you three that he was terminally ill and he didn't feel the need to worry you three if nothing could be done." Natsume remained stiff but relaxed slightly when Mikan placed a hand on his shoulder. "Second, he wanted me to give you this, Natsume. He wanted you to read it aloud."

Natsume took the folded letter from the lawyer's outstretched hand. " _Natsume_ ," he read. " _I know I am a coward for letting the three of you find out like this but I ask you to please forgive me. You, Aoi, and Mikan have gone through so much pain and suffering that I couldn't bear to add yet another thing for you three to worry about._

 _First, I want to tell Aoi to stay strong. I know she is crying right now, and I just want her to know that she had grown to be a very strong woman. She's had her fair share of tragic experiences, but her smile still remains as bright as her mother's. You still have so much to learn, Aoi, but you have your friends and your family to carry you through. Do not be afraid of the future, and don't be afraid to fail, because that doesn't define you._

 _Mikan. I am so proud to be able to call you my daughter-in-law. You have saved so many people from indescribable darkness, including my son. When he smiles at you, I see pure happiness and I truly want to thank you. I knew from the moment that I met you were going to be a great woman for my son, therefore I wanted to be worthy of taking on the role of your father-in-law. I want you to know that, even though I am no longer alive, I am watching over you and protecting you as if you were my own child. And I want you to know that Kaoru would have loved you just as much as I have. You truly are kind, as shown by the love you have given to this family that is now also yours. Thank you so much for loving Natsume so holistically. I will forever consider you to be my very own child._

 _And Natsume. No matter what, you will always be my boy. You had to grow up far too early but, every time I look into your eyes, I see my little boy. But even I know that you have matured so greatly. You've found the woman you love the most in this world, and I have heard the stories regarding how much you were willing to sacrifice on her behalf. You've grown into a fine, strong man and I couldn't wish for anything. And another thing: I was never able to tell you how grateful I was. You've tried so hard to paint a picture of the family we weren't allowed to have all those years ago, and I want you to know that your efforts have not been wasted. The memories I now have of the Hyuuga family are overwhelmed with the faces of you, Mikan, and Aoi. They are happy faces, peaceful faces… The happiness you have brought me is something I thought I could never achieve in this lifetime, and it was all because you brought the four of us together for an entire weekend every month. Those weekends were truly the greatest moments of my life. Thank you, Natsume. No matter what people have said of you in the past, and no matter what they will say in the future, you are truly a kind child. Thank you for being my son. Thank you for allowing me to be your father._

 _-Dad."_

Natsume tossed the letter down onto the lawyer's desk and abruptly stood. He said nothing as he exited the room, roughly shutting the door behind him. By then Aoi had calmed herself and moved as if to go after him. Mikan placed a hand on her arm and whispered, "I'll go." Because she knew Natsume would never want his sister to see him crying.

She found him down the hall, he was hunched over, unable to withstand the emotion coursing through his veins. Immediately Mikan broke down at the sight and, instead of uttering a word, she simply drew him into a tight hug. He avoided showing his face, but Mikan felt her shoulder dampen the minute he buried his face into her neck. He shook, but remained silent. "It's okay," Mikan consoled him through her tears. "Your father was happy. He even said—"

Natsume shook his head, "But I haven't told him—"

"He knew." Mikan squeezed him even tighter in hopes of calming him. "He knew."

When they returned to the lawyer's office, they were given the very specific task of returning Mr. Hyuuga to his home, the place he described as giving him the most memories and happiness. But, when the task had to be done, Natsume did it by himself. Mikan and Aoi were quick to oblige, allowing Natsume to drive down to his father's house in order to create a space for his father. He did so in his father's bedroom, where the sun poured in from the backyard and a beautiful view of the garden would forever law before him. And once he was finished, before he finally left, Natsume placed a picture of his father beside a picture of his mother. "I'm sorry I never let you know but…" Natsume paused as he looked at the picture of his smiling father. "I love you, dad."

 **Ah~ there it is. I tried to make it a little sad but not TOO sad because I don't want people crying on their computers or whatnot. You guys probably won't, I'm not able to move people THAT much. Anyways. Thank you so much for reading this chapter and hopefully I can have a new one for you guys soon!**


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